Packing Light: Camera, Sound and Edit To-Go

In less than a week, we are leaving for two months in Southeast Asia. Among the myriad of preparations for the trip, packing our film gear lightly and efficiently is most important.  We will be traveling through four countries and moving often, so light and compact is key. Here’s what we’re bringing:

1. Mac Book Pro. We debated bringing this Cadillac of a computer. It weighs a whopping 5 pounds and is valuable, so at considerable risk of theft. We’re going to bring along a cable lock, along with a lock on the sleeve and take the chance of keeping it in our guesthouse while we’re out for the day.  It’s a risk but we can’t edit, design and write without the Mac.

2. Mac Book Pro Charger. Oh boy do I wish the computer didn’t have the added weight of this brick!

3. Lumix 14-140 Lens. This is a great lens for wide angle and telephoto stills and video shots.

4. Hyper-cardioid Mic with Wind Muff & Handle. We debated bringing this along since we’re already bringing a wireless lavalier microphone and I didn’t want to add more weight to our kit.  But the sounds of Asia – crashing waves, chanting monks and the sounds of the street market — are just too salivating to pass on.

5. Gaffer’s Tape. Needs no explanation. It’s a must-have when filming anywhere.

6. Joby Gorillapod. We need a tripod but we’re not inclined to lug around something bulky and heavy, so we’re going to bring this little guy. It’s cheap, light, latches onto the camera bag, and serves as both tripod and make-shift Steadicam.

7. Wireless Lavalier Microphone.  This will be easy to clip onto an interview subject and get great sound.

8. Marantz Audio Recorder. With two audio inputs, this little compact high quality recorder can easily support a wireless lav and the hypercardioid mic.

9. Panasonic Gh1. This itty bitty micro 4/3rds camera shoots some spectacular images both still and video, especially with the addition of a Lumix 20 mm F 1.7.  It doesn’t hurt that this camera is ultra compact and light-weight.

10. Memory Cards. Not pictured is a slim profile memory card reader that makes image and video downloads from the cards a snap.

11. Rechargeable Batteries. I love these Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries.  A set in the wireless mics or in the sound recorder can pretty much last a full day of non-stop shooting. And after an overnight charge, they’re ready to go for another whole day.

12. Mini Mouse.  With a contractible USB cord and slim profile, this low-cost iHome mouse is great for traveling and saves the aggravation of trying to edit on a laptop’s track pad.

13. Camera Battery Charger. If only there was one battery charger that accommodated all electronics.  Unfortunately there’s none and so I have no choice but to lug this around.

** Not pictured is a small hard-drive to store and edit footage.